ships of Solyman, which were in the Grecian sea, to bring him back from Hungary; for his fear had fallen upon them*. And the hand of the Lord was upon Genoa at that time. And a fire was kindled in the gunpowder which was near the palace, and the houses which were round about fell down; and the whole city was shaken because of them. And there died under the ruins about twenty-five souls of men, besides those who were slain on that day, which was the third day, on the second of the month of July two hundred and ninety-two, and the men of the city were greatly astonished§; it was not known who kindled it.

818. And Andrea Doria, by command of the emperor and of the pope, departed from Genoa with all his ships, at the end of the fifth month||, and went to Sicily to carry off the soldiers whom they had hired there for marching. They thence departed, and went to Greece, and during several days besieged Coron, which is on the uttermost part of the borders of Greece. And the Turks who were in the midst thereof delivered it into his hand, on the day of Hosanna Rabba¶, of the year two hundred

* Est. ix. 23. † Ruth i. 19. § Gen. xliii. 53.

.i. e. Tuesday ,יום השלישי ?

|| Ab, i. e. August.

¶y, the 21st of September, the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles, next in importance to the 10, or Day of Atonement. The name originated from the word

salva quæso, at the commencement of most prayers for that day.

136

MODON SURPRISED.

פח

of Genoa, as they returned, the king of France drave entirely out from his country.

805. In that year came a Turk, a man of Belial, and spake to the heart of the grand-master of Rhodes*, and to his brother, saying, "Arise, let us go unto Modon, and let us make a breach for us therein, for the land is very good. And ye are quiet; be not idle to go, and I will give the tower into your hand; and as ye come, ye will come to a quiet and secure people, and these, God has given unto you; why do ye tarry." And it came to pass, one day, that they hearkened unto the voice of that man, and sent thither a ship bearing wine; and in the lowest part of the ship about eighty men. And the ship came securely into the haven of Modon, and six galleys which they had came after her, no man knew of their coming. And there went upon the first vessel some of the Turks, of the watchers of the city, and they asked at random, for they prophesied and then ceased+, Are there here any Nazarene dogs?" And they said, No; we are true ment; the ship bears wine, as much as she can carry; behold, and see." And they gave them to eat and to drink, as much as their soul desired, until their

66

66

*The knights of St. John retained the title of Rhodes after their expulsion.

פח

MASSACRE AT MODON.

137

hearts were merry with wine; and they became drunken with them* at that time. The wine was yet in their throat; and the man who spake to them, slew the post-captain of the Turks, who was on the citadel. And he gave the signal, and the men who were in the ship went out swifter than the leopards, and stronger than the lions. And they slew the watchers of the gate with the edge of the sword, and they came into the city of Modon upon that quiet and secure people, according as he had told them. And they slew all whom they met in the markets and in the streets with the edge of the sword; and their wives and their children, and all their property they plundered, and there was none to deliver from their hands, for they were terrified before them. And when the thick smoke ascended from the houses which they burned with fire, the galleys came, even those which were at a distance of ten miles, as an eagle flieth. And they came against the city with two hundred men, and filled also their hands with their swords devouring flesh, and their arrows were drunken with blood; and they stretched their hand unto the spoil. And many of the inhabitants of the city fled at their voices, and were put to flight by the sword, and stayed not; for they knew not whence this great evil came unto them. *Gen. xliv. 34.

138

MODON.-LOUISE DIES, 1531.

פח

And many gathered themselves into the palace which was in the midst of the city, whose doors were of brass; and they fortified themselves there, and their lives were unto them a spoil. And it came to pass, at eventide, that two thousand Turks riding on horses gathered themselves, and came also into the city with anger, and with wrath, and with a great noise; and the earth was rent at their voice. And the uncircumcised fled before them, and they gathered themselves unto the ships with the spoil and the plunder; there were not missed of them more than twenty-five men. And the captives, whom the ships could not carry, they slew with the edge of the sword. And they returned unto Malta, which the emperor gave them to dwell in, [] after their expulsion from Rhodes, to abide there. And the wrath of Solyman was greatly kindled against them, and against those who joined them. And of the children of Israel, there was not taken even one, for when they heard their voice they fled unto the mountain; and their lives were unto them a prey. Only their riches and all their property the men of Modon plundered, for they were oppressors unto them.

806. And Louise of Savoy*, the mother of the king, died on the seventeenth day of October, in the year one thousand five hundred and thirty-one.

.אלויסיה מסאבוייא *

פט

A. D. 1531-IBRAHIM PASHA.

139

And she was buried at Paris, without the city; and the king wept over her, and honored her greatly.

807. And Solyman would return to war against Vienna, and he commanded Zay*, the chief of his armament at sea; and his ships went out from the haven of Constantinople on the second day of the month of May, one thousand five hundred and thirty-one, with joy and with singing, with tabrets and high-sounding trumpets; and the earth was rent at the noise of the cannons. And their number was fifty light galleys, and sixty heavy ones; and they went to the coast of Corfu, for so the king had commanded him, and they met there the rest of the galleys, and they were one in the hand of Zayt.

808. And the Sofi, king of Persia, sent messengers unto him, and they spake to him on the sixth of the month; and Ibrahim Pasha went with them to accompany them.

809. And they went into the high place on the tenth of the month, and paid the bullocks with their lips. And they blessed the great banner, which is the banner of Mohammed: and they brought it into the palace with gladness, and with † i. e. They were united under his command. Hosea xiv. 3, offered the calves of their lips: i. e. They offered the sacrifice of prayer.

.זאי *